What Was I Thinking?
by Kuronoko Tsubame
Summary: An original character, and a proud Yu Yu Hakusho fan, suddenly finds herself sitting in the same class as Shuichi Minamino. How exactly does one acclimate to what they formerly thought to be a world of fiction? [Next chapter written, needs to be typed.]
1. Lost and found

_Okay then. This entire story idea literally came from a dream. _

_**Before the story:** Before the story actually starts there is a little bit of information that should be known. __The main character is Kuronoko Tsubame, an original character from whom my pen name originated. _She is half Japanese, but was born and raised in America. _She is 17 years old, a senior in High school. She has long brown hair and brown eyes. Stands at about 5' 5". __She is aware, and a fan of, Yu Yu hakusho._ _After going to bed one night, after a normal day, she wakes up and..._

**What Was I Thinking?**

"Kuronoko-san? Kuronoko-san?"

"H-hai?"

"The answer please?"

"Hai..."

Okay...I'm not really sure what's going on here...Not only did I just understand what that teacher said, but I'm responding in perfect Japanese. Wait, Japanese? I'm...I'm in a school in Japan? My notes...so this is an Literature class. Wow, I can write in Japanese too, and...and my handwriting still sucks. This is a really big class, I don't recognize anybody...except...except...that guy looks exactly like...

"Minamino-san?"

It's true, the teacher just confirmed it. That's Shuichi Minamino, Kurama!

"Class dismissed!"

Aack! Why is my stuff all over my desk? Okay, now I need to...I need to...What do I need to do? Oh! Right, I'm in school, so that means I ought to get to my next class. Everyone else is gone already, even Shuichi. Man, these hallways are so crowded. I have no clue where I'm-

"Kuronoko-san, was it?"

That was him! That was Shuichi's voice!

"H-hai."

"Gomen, I didn't mean to interrupt your thoughts. I just wanted to bring to your attention that you are about to walk into the staff room."

The staff room! No way! I choose one door to try and it had to be the staff room?

"A-arigatou...it's...uh...my first day and I'm not entirely sure where I'm going.."

"Do you have a schedule?"

A schedule! How stupid am I? Of course I have to have a schedule.

"Uh, here. It says something about 3-C."

"Classroom 3-C. That's on the third floor, the next floor up. The classrooms are all labeled, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find."

"Arigatou. I can't thank you enough."

"Don't worry about it. We should both get going, the bell is about to ring."

"Thanks again."

"Kuronoko-san?"

"Hai?"

"Would you like to meet me in the lunchroom? It's never fun to sit alone on your first day, and I could show you how to find the rest of your classes."

What do I say? What do I say?

"I wouldn't want to trouble you..."

"No, please, I insist."

"Thank you so much..."

"I'll wait for you by the south entrance. By the way, I'm Minamino Shuichi."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kuronoko Tsubame."

"Alright, I'll see you at lunch then?"

"Hai."

_Well, that was really weird, ne? I'll probably delete this by Monday, unless I get some reviews. I'm pretty sure no one will want me to continue this. Anyway, please review, I'd like to see if this was just a crazy dream or a future story._


	2. Kaito and chemistry

_Well, surprisingly enough people really do want me to continue this. Search me, I was sure I would delete it. The style of writing has been changed a bit. It would be too difficult to have the entire story in Tsubame-chan's point of view. The basic action will be in normal print. Tsubame's thoughts are still there, I've labeled them with italics. This way you get the best of both. To anyone reading this: Thank you so much, this is an unusual style for me, so I am very pleased that it attracts some readers._

---_  
_

**What Was I Thinking?**

Chapter 2

"Kuronoko-san? Do you know the answer?"

"A-ano, shichi?" (seven)

Tsubame sat in her math class, attempting to understand what exactly the teacher was saying...and failing miserably. The entire class started laughing.

"No Kuronoko-san, I'm afraid that is not the answer."

_This is just great. I can handle just about any subject, but math? Why oh why did he have to call on me?_

The ball rang and the students filed out of the classroom.

_Oh, thank goodness, the bell rang. Only one more class to go through until I get to meet up with Shuichi. I should be mindful though. He offered his hospitality, I don't want to appear like one of his crazed fangirls. sweatdrop That's all I need. First I wake up to find that I'm in the middle of class in a Japanese school, then I find someone that I actually know and he takes me as a crazed fangirl. That would be just my luck..._

She walked quickly through the halls in hopes of not being late. Math had started out bad, she had walked in right after everyone had sat down. Not exactly a good first impression.

_Then of course they had to laugh at me. I'm so embarrassed..._

"Itai!" She cried as she ran into something and fell to the floor.

Looking up she saw a tall man with odd hair and glasses.

_Hahaha, now I meet Kaito._

"You should watch where you are going." Kaito advised.

"Y-yeah. Sorry about that."

_Too funny. I forgot Kaito went to the same school as Shuichi. Okay, let's see, what class do I have next...?_

Tsubame dropped her schedule, staring at it on the floor.

_No. No no no no no no no. I HATE chemistry!_

Grudgingly she walked into her new class. Three guesses who was sitting at the table closest to her.

"Minamino-kun?"

_I need to be polite, I don't want to offend him._

Shuichi looked up from his notes.

"Kuronoko-san, nice to see you again. You're in this class?"

"Uh, yeah, that's what the schedule says."

Shuichi laughed at himself. "It's strange that I wouldn't have noticed that."

_Wow, this is awesome. Except...oh man, now I'm going to look like a total idiot in front of him. Curse my luck._

The teacher approached Tsubame. "You're Kuronoko-san, am I right?"

"H-hai."

"It's a pleasure to welcome you into my class. Take a seat wherever there is an empty chair."

"Arigatou."

_The chair next to Shuichi is open. Probably not for long. No. I'm not going to pester him. There has to be some other open seat..._

Shuichi looked up and watched as Tsubame struggled to find a place to sit.

"Kuronoko-san?"

"Hai?"

"My usual lab partner is absent today, would you like to sit with me?"

"Hai, arigatou Minamino-kun."

"Please, call me Shuichi."

"Aa, Shuichi-kun."

_That just rolls off the tongue so much better than Minamino-kun._

"Alright then, if everyone is settled, let's begin today's lesson."

----

_I know, it's just as short as the first chapter. Sorry, but until I know for sure that people want to read this I don't want to write too much. If you liked it, please review!_


	3. Explosions and lunch

_-sweatdrop- I'm so sorry! Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! I feel so awful that it's taken me so long to put this chapter up. I guess I just sort of lost my inspiration for awhile. I really hope that anyone reading this understands how very sorry I am, and I'm even now working on the next chapter! _

_Special shout out to _KooriKitsune_, it's all because of you that I was able to start again, thanks so much!_

---_  
_

**What Was I Thinking?**

Chapter 3

Much to Tsubame's displeasure they were performing a lab today. She was doing her best to concentrate on the sensei's directions on how to go about it.

_Okay, I can do this. I can do this..._

Starting was by far the hardest part. Making sure that no instruments were missing and getting all of the initial measurements correct; but with Shuichi at her side she felt a bit more confident about all this. Everything was going very well. In fact, she was just beginning to think that she would get out of this class without a problem. Well, in a sense she did...

The last few steps of the lab were tricky. A single miscalculation could lead to a disastrous reaction. In other words, an explosion.

"Is this right Shuichi-kun?"

Shuichi checked her measurement and nodded with a smile. "Yes, perfect Kuronoko-san."

_Hehehe, he actually said it was perfect!_

No sooner had she finished adding the ingredient than Shuichi turned to her with a hurried and yet almost comical expression on his face. "You'll want to put your head down now."

For a split second she thought about questioning him, but questioning Kurama was probably a very foolish thing to do, so she decided not to. She knelt down and saw that Shuichi had done the same beside her.

BOOM!

At Shuichi's signal she stood up and looked curiously behind her, which is where the sound had come from. The lab pair behind them had apparently not been paying attention.

_Wow. I'm really glad he warned me about that. The way it sounded it probably would have singed half my hair._

It was only after the initial relief that she noticed that the rest of the class was laughing. She turned to Shuichi, who was looking at the pair behind them in a rather amused sort of way. Then she saw why. The two boys, the lab partners behind them, were covered in sooty scorch marks, a black film over their fronts making them look like they had been taking a class with a very bad make-up artist rather than a chemistry teacher.

_Oh that is just too funny! I need to make sure to thank him for the warning later though._

She bit her lip and chuckled, not wanting to be rude, but just after she had decided not to laugh she did, and with good reason. The two boys that had fouled up the experiment had turned to face one another and, seeing their blackened faces had both burst out laughing. The teacher allowed the ruckus for a little while, seeing as it wasn't causing any harm, but they all eventually returned to their work. Well, except for the two boys who had been sent to the nurse to get cleaned up. You can be sure that there was a very frustrated nurse that day.

---

No sooner had they gone through the door that Tsubame burst out laughing again. "That was so funny Shuichi-kun! How did you know that they were going to do that?"

Shuichi smiled one of his knowing smiles. "Just a guess. I thought I heard one of them say something just before it happened, and those two are known to slack off when the instructions are being given."

_Okay, sure, I believe you. Not. I'll bet he really did know it was going to happen beforehand, probably his enhanced senses. Oh..but I can't let him know that I know about that. Boy, would that be something, trying to explain that how I know so much about him and the others._

"Oh, I see. Thank you though for mentioning it to me, I don't think I'd have liked having my back scorched."

"No problem Kuronoko-san."

Tsubame smiled and followed him silently into a wide outdoor area, she could tell from the sky, that she at first was unfamiliar with, but after seeing the tops of a few buildings off the railing to her left it became apparent.

"We're on the roof?"

Kurama stopped and turned back to her. "Yes. It's a nice day and I thought it would be nice to eat outside in the open air. Would you rather eat inside?"

"Oh no, really, this is great! I've just never been up here before..."

The last few words faltered as she saw over the edge of the guardrail. Luckily Shuichi decided to sit back up against the wall by the door, but he didn't fail to notice her hesitancy.

Kuronoko-san? Are you uncomfortable here? I mean, you're not afraid of heights, are you?"

Tsubame laughed in a semi-nervous manner. "No. Not heights. That would be silly. I'm afraid of falling."

Kurama laughed as he sat back against the wall. "That's very wise Kuronoko-san."

_Heh, I really have to get over this. Every time he says something like that I get so happy that I'm afraid I'll do something stupid..._

"Kuronoko-san?"

_Ah! Off in my own world again, definitely not good._

"Aa, sorry, I was just sort of spacing."

"Don't worry about it." He pulled his bag to his side and pulled out a nicely made bento box.

Tsubame sat beside him and, purely out of curiosity, looked through her own bag. Perhaps there was some food in there.

_Or not...figures. Woah...this is the first time I really thought about it, but...how did I get here in the first place? Is any of this even real? Maybe I'm still dreaming..._

After giving herself a sharp pinch she realized that this was indeed real, though how that was possible still confused her.

"Kuronoko-san?"

_Aw man, spacing again..._

"Hai? Gomen, I was just...thinking."

"I just asked if you had anything for yourself to eat."

"Oh, um."

"You're welcome to share mine if you would like."

"Oh, no, please, it's okay. Um, I actually had a lot to eat for breakfast, I didn't bring a lunch because I knew I wouldn't be hungry. Thank you for the offer though Shuichi-kun."

_This is really not fair. Not only do I have nothing to eat for lunch, but the last time I actually did eat was last night, before I went to bed and woke up...here. And I can't take Shuichi's food, then he wouldn't have anything to eat! And this skirt is driving me crazy! I always thought it would be so cool to wear a school uniform, but this is so annoying! Although the fact that I never wear skirts or dresses anyway might contribute. Yeah...probably._

The rest if the day went pretty much the same day as the first half had. Tsubame got to experience what it was like to go to a school in Japan, and though everything was still awkward for her it seemed like something she would really enjoy. But then...how long was this going to last?

----

_Please review!_


	4. Bad and worse

_Right, another new chapter, and now we're actually going to get into something more than just the general humor of the last three. I upped the rating a bit, mostly for safety's sake, but I would warn ahead of time if I planned anything really violent. Just a short scene in this chapter, but still nothing bad._

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**What Was I Thinking?**

Chapter 4

At last the school day was over, but Tsubame quickly realized that her problems had only just begun. She stood just outside the school gates looking in one direction, then the other, and back again. Shuichi hadn't had any more classes with her, so ever since lunch she had been on her own. But compared to now, that was nothing. Now, she was truly alone.

_This is just great. What am I supposed to do now? I didn't really think about what would happen after school, I mean, it was school after all. But what do I do now? I don't have anywhere to go, and I still don't even know how I got here in the first place._

Doing the first logical thing that came to mind she checked to see if she had any money. Hopefully she could get something to eat and then maybe find a place to stay.

_It's just as if I were at home...I'm broke. Okay, take a deep breath. Right. Now what do I know about this area? Ohh...nothing to help me in this situation. Unless, maybe...yeah, that could work. I could probably get some help from Genkai, and I'd get to really meet Yukina too! But wait...the only thing I know is that she lives outside of town, somewhere up in the mountains. Where would I start looking? It could take me all day just to reach the mountains, and even then I don't know that I'd be searching in the right area..._

She suddenly brought up her hand and slapped her palm against her forehead.

_Duh! What was I thinking? Genkai is a renowned psychic! I can just ask someone how I could find her! Okay, so now I have a plan. I need to find Genkai and then I can tell her all about..well, everything. Of all people she should be the most understanding. And the fact that I should be able to answer just about any question she asks me ought to be convincing enough._

So she set out to find someone that could give her directions. Unfortunately the task proved to be more difficult that she had expected. After asking about five, or was it ten, people she now had a general direction that, if she followed, would eventually lead her to Genkai. And so, having a simple but likely difficult task set before her she began her journey into the mountains. What she had failed to realize was that there was quite a bit of the city to pass through first, and when you're on your own and haven't had anything to eat in a day it wasn't quite the same as sightseeing. And besides, though the thought of being alone in unfamiliar territory was a little frightening, the idea that she wasn't was measurably worse.

_I can't shake this feeling that I'm being followed, and now it's even starting to get late. I'll bet it's about dinnertime now. sigh I wish I could stop thinking about food, I'm so hungry._

Somewhere in the shadows a shrouded figure silently agreed with her.

_I want to stop, maybe rest for a little while, but I know that I really shouldn't. I've only been walking for about an hour and a half, I think, and if I stop now then I'll just be wasting daylight, and that really isn't a smart thing to do._

She froze when a figure seemed to just appear before her. It was about as tall as her, but any other features were at the moment hidden. It wore a thick brown cloak that seemed to have been put together using pieces of heavy cloth, and a hood covered it's head.

"Let's not make this difficult. Come with me." It said in a deep, gravely voice.

Tsubame paled considerably as it not only spoke but revealed what it truly was. A long, thin tail slid out from underneath the cloak, which was practically touching the ground.

_A demon? No, this can't be happening to me. Here I was worrying about running into some street thug after dark and a demon shows up? Wait...what does it want with..me?_

The demon took an impatient step forward. "I personally would much rather eat you than capture you, so if you wish for that than by all means, continue to just stand there."

Trembling slightly Tsubame took a step back. _What do I do? I can't fight it, but it's probably faster than me too. I don't understand...what could it possibly want with me?_

After another impatient step that brought the demon even closer to her, standing only a few yards from her now, Tsubame did the only thing she really could do, she ran. She hadn't taken more that three steps when a sharp, clawed hand grabbed her forearm. Tsubame turned and swung her bag, the only thing she had to protect herself with, smacking the demon's head and causing the hood to fall back. A pale, leathery green face that resembled that of a lizard glared furiously at her. The demon tore the bag from her hand and threw it aside. Tsubame had been trying desperately to free herself from its grasp when it used its tail to sweep her feet from beneath her and she fell on her side. But the demons claws had yet to release themselves from her arm, and they now tore viciously through her skin, the fierce grip still unrelenting. Tsubame cried out as she received this double-blow, her opposite shoulder cruelly striking the cement-paved ground.

"This is your last chance. Annoy me once more and I'll simply devour you!"

Tsubame bit her lip against the pain that the demons claws were causing her. _I can't move, he's still got my arm. _There was an awkward moment of silence before the demon moved. He grabbed the collar of her uniform and picked her up, releasing her arm only after he had her off of her feet.

"There, you're still in one piece. I shall be greatly rewarded for bringing you in. And who knows, perhaps I can still eat you once he's through with you."

After that came one of those brief instances in which you aren't sure if you're being rescued or ambushed. A ball of bright blue energy flew through the air and blasted the demon in the side, but not before it had taken a great leap, still holding Tsubame. With an agonizing cry the demon, low-class as it had been, all but vaporized in the air, and Tsubame fell. Luckily this had been a rescue, and not an ambush. She was caught in the arms of a black-haired teen wearing jeans and a white t-shirt, the reikai tentai Urameshi Yusuke himself. Tsubame was unconscious even as she fell, but when Yusuke caught her in his arms she did not look like Tsubame. For no more than a few seconds after Yusuke had caught her she had been something else.

"Hey, are-" Yusuke had been about to ask her if she was alright, but he was silenced by the fact that she was unconscious, and in no small part by what he saw next.

Tsubame's hair, normally a rich brown, had gone completely white. A black crescent moon lay on her forehead, her ears were pointed, and she now bore claws of her own. And then, after only a few brief seconds, she was herself again.

"Okay...I guess it's possible that I'm just losing it, but if I had to guess I'd say there's something weird going on here." He noticed that her arm was badly torn and needed to be cared for. "Well, Kurama's house isn't too far from here, maybe I could take her there." He looked at her once more, hoping to see the white-haired girl and be sure that it had been real, but Tsubame's normal brown hair hung over his arm, and she looked the same as she had when he had first seen her in the demons grasp. "Well, that's not really important right now anyway. That arm looks pretty bad." So with Tsubame in his arms he started for Kurama's house. When he arrived several minutes later he came around to the side of the Minamino household, knowing that Shiori, Kurama's human mother, would be home now. He set Tsubame gently against the wall just beneath Kurama's window and came around to the door. Sure enough it was Shiori that answered. After a brief exchange of pleasantries Kurama, Shuichi, was called to the door. Shiori went back to making dinner.

"Yusuke? What brings you here at this time?"

"Yeah, I know, I'm probably interrupting and all but it's not actually about me. I was just heading over to Kuwabara's when I caught some demon attacking a girl. She's okay, but her arm's pretty torn up, and I figured you would be able to help her better than I could."

"Where is she?"

Yusuke brought him around to the side of the house where Tsubame was. Kurama's general concern greatly increased when he saw who it was.

"Kuronoko-san?"

"You know her?"

"Yes, sort of. I just met her today at school, she said it was her first day."

"Geez, some first day this ended up to be."

Kurama knelt down beside her and examined her arm. There were four cuts in all, three on top and one on the bottom, obviously made from an inhuman hand. You could still see the initial puncture wounds made by the claws, but it looked far worse with the extended damage. Kurama stood and turned to Yusuke.

"Yusuke, please watch her for a moment, I need to get some things to treat her wound."

"Yeah, sure thing." Yusuke sat back against a tree that was just about opposite Tsubame's position against the wall.

Kurama returned just a few minutes later with a role of gauze and a few other items and he set to cleaning the wound. He had just been about to bandage it when Tsubame's soft brown eyes opened, at first looking confused and then suddenly frightened as she recalled the last few moments that she had been conscious.

"Kuronoko-san, it's alright, calm down."

Tsubame's eyes widened. "S-Shuichi-kun? What...?"

"It's alright, I was only trying to wrap your arm. May I?" He motioned to her arm.

Tsubame nodded faintly and held out her arm, which she had pulled close to her upon awakening. All three of them were silent during the process, and Kurama spoke only after he had completely finished.

"Kuronoko-san, can I ask you what happened to give you such an injury?"

----

_I need to give a special thanks to Bloodlust Mistress. Arigatou Oneechan! That brief image of the white-haired Tsubame was something that she made up for Tsubame, so all description credit goes to her! She's a genius and I'm so happy that she gave me permission to use it. Don't know what I'd do without ya!_

_Please review! I'm sure I'm going to get a few people riled up with the way I did that chapter, but it all had a reason! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!_


	5. Explanations and decisions

_Sigh, the bad news just gets worse. I'm really sorry about the huge delay on all of my stories. It started with the worst writers block I've ever had (and I'm still not out of it) and now I've learned that we're suddenly moving. I hope that you can all accept my apologies, nothing will go forgotten, but I may not be able to do much for a while. Anyway, here's the next chapter of this one. If I have any 'Didn't You Notice?' fans reading this I want you to know that I'm really working my hardest to get a new chapter up, so please don't give up on me!_

---_  
_

**What Was I Thinking?**

Chapter 5

"Kuronoko-san, can I ask what happened to give you such an injury?"

Tsubame didn't respond for a moment. She was trying to figure out what exactly she should say. _I really wish you wouldn't...This isn't how it was supposed to happen. I was really hoping to talk to Genkai about all this first._

"I...h-how did I get here?"

Yusuke raised a hand in greeting. "Yo. That would be my doing. I found you passed out in the street. So, what happened to ya?"

_Yusuke? Oh great, this couldn't be much worse. And yet...I wonder what would have happened if Yusuke hadn't found me. Wait...what was it he said? He found me passed out in the street? That's not right. That demon had me, and then there was that flash of light. Of course! Yusuke's spirit gun. That's what it must have been. So that means he must have destroyed the demon and then brought me here because of the wound on my arm. _She raised her head and looked from Kurama to Yusuke and then back again. "I...I was attacked." _Well, that's honest enough. Maybe I can get around telling them, at least until after I talk with Genkai. I can't lie to them though, I won't. But at the same time I really don't think I should tell them everything just yet._

"You were attacked? What happened?"

_I see now. They're trying to figure out how much I know already. _"I'm not sure exactly. I was just walking, and...he just sort of stepped out of the shadows. He said he wanted me to come with him."

Yusuke looked over at Kurama. "Just your everyday street thug then?"

_Hehe, _he's_ talking about street thugs, of all people. Though in truth Yusuke isn't as bad as he tries to make himself out to be._

"Did you know who this person was Kuronoko-san?"

"N-no." _Am I getting off that easy?_

After a few moments of silence Kurama stood up, offering his hand to Tsubame. "Well, you're safe now. Come on, I'll walk you home Kuronoko-san."

Tsubame looked up at him with a soft, sad expression. _Perfect. Of course I forgot that little detail. What am I supposed to say? I don't have any home to go to, not in this world anyway. I guess this is it then. I have to tell them the truth._

"Shuichi-kun..."

"Is something the matter Kuronoko-san?"

"It...wasn't a person."

Yusuke moved so that he was sitting on his heels beside Kurama. He looked up at his friend, who had suddenly grown much more serious about the situation, and then back to Tsubame.

"What do you mean?"

Tsubame put a hand over her bandaged arm. "The thing that attacked me. It wasn't a person. Shuichi-kun, it was a demon."

Yusuke fell forward onto his knees. "Huh?"

Kurama just smiled softly. "I'm sure you must be mistaken-

"No." Tsubame's voice was soft, but leaving no room for question. She avoided looking at either of them. "No, I'm not. It was some sort of demon, I know it was. Shuichi-kun...there's something I need to tell you. I'm not from here. I mean, I've never even been to Japan before. I don't even know how I got here."

Yusuke blinked a few times. "Wait, I'm confused."

"Earlier, when I was attacked, I had been on my way to see Genkai. I wanted to tell her about everything; I was hoping she could help me figure out how I got here."

"Where is it you're from Kuronoko-san?"

_Oh boy. This is one of the ones I've been dreading._ "I'm not sure really. You see, I think I'm from a completely different world." _Great, now I sound crazy on top of everything else. _"Hang on, let me explain some things first. The thing is, where I come from...well, what I mean to say is...I know all about you. Both of you." She looked up and met Yusuke's confused gaze. "You're Urameshi Yusuke, and you work for Koenma as the spirit detective."

While Yusuke sat there open-mouthed she turned to Kurama. _I guess it's best to just get it over with now. _"Shuichi-kun...I know your secret as well. You're actually the fox demon Kurama, but you've been disguising yourself as the human Minamino Shuichi since you entered Ningenkai."

Both boys were looking at her now, shocked and suspicious.

Tsubame closed her eyes, hanging her head. "Please understand, I would never tell anyone about you. I'm not your enemy. It's just...I don't know what I'm supposed to do..." Once again she pulled her arm close, holding it as if to comfort herself. _I guess I can only wait now. What happens next is their decision, not mine. _She shivered as a gust of cool wind helped to signify that night was swiftly approaching.

Yusuke rubbed a hand against the back of his head awkwardly. "Look, we're not mad or anything, okay? So you don't need to sulk like that. We just need to know how it is you know that about us." He avoided looking at her, finding that he really couldn't at the moment. Of course he was suspicious, he had good reason to be, but he couldn't bring himself to be anything but gentle with her.

"Perhaps a visit with Genkai is the best course of action." Kurama spoke at last. "It's clear that there is more to this than what we know. Genkai may be able to help us figure some things out." He looked down at Tsubame with that awful expressionless face that she had hoped would never be used on her. "Yusuke, we should meet at Genkai's tomorrow after school."

"Yeah, okay. But, uh..." He stood up and whispered to Kurama. "What should we do with her? I mean, she said she had nowhere to go."

_See, it's times like these that I wish my hearing wasn't as good as it is. If you have to whisper, at least do it so I can't hear you..._

"I'll take care of things Yusuke. Just meet us at Genkai's tomorrow."

"Right. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." He cast a quick glance at Tsubame before leaving. She looked so sad. She couldn't have had any bad intentions, could she? She seemed so innocent..._I sure hope we can figure this all out._

Nothing was said for a while after Yusuke left. Both Tsubame and Kurama seemed to be thinking. Finally Kurama took a few steps forward, looking back at Tsubame, who still sat on the ground. "You'll need a place to stay for the night. There's a spare bedroom in our house, that should do for now."

_Huh? He wants me to stay in his house now? But I thought he was upset...How much more awkward could this be? I almost wish he'd just make me sleep outside. _"You don't need to do that..."

Kurama smiled softly. "I can't just leave you out here. The only thing is you have to promise me-"

"Oh, I know. I won't use your other name Shuichi-kun, and I promise I'll be extra polite. I...I really appreciate this."

Kurama smiled, shaking his head. "Come on then, it's getting cold out."

Tsubame nodded, standing and joining Kurama. _Maybe I can show him that I really don't mean to cause any trouble. Still, this is going to be a little awkward..._

Kurama led her around to the front of the house, stopping at the door. "Wait here a moment."

----

_Please review! Next chapter Tsubame gets to meet Shiori, and what of the next day of school? Later the boys pay Genkai a visit. Hiei will show up as well._


	6. Meetings and dinner

_Another new chapter...I know I said it would go farther in time, but it kinda collapsed on me. Lol, anyways, I had fun with this, so hopefully you will too._

---_  
_

**What Was I Thinking?**

Chapter 6

Tsubame fidgeted nervously as she waited just outside the door. Kurama had already gone in, and though she could tell he was talking with Shiori she couldn't distinguish what was being said. A few moments later the door opened and Shiori came out, immediately looking around. She spotted Tsubame and brought a hand up to her mouth in a sympathetic gesture. "Oh you poor thing. Please, come on inside." And before Tsubame had time to respond Shiori had gently ushered her through the door.

_Wait, what exactly did he tell her?_

Kurama was standing inside and he just smiled as his mother and Tsubame entered.

_Not fair..._

"Now, what's your name dear?" Shiori asked after closing the door behind them.

"K-Kuronoko Tsubame."

"Right then, Tsubame-chan." She took Tsubame's arm in her hand, examining the neat bandaging. "Well, it looks like Shuichi already took care of you." She let go and took a step back, looking at Tsubame. "Oh I can't believe such a thing would happen. To have just moved to a new place and right from the start you've been separated from your parents."

_Playing along..._

"I don't suppose you've had anything to eat then. Are you hungry Tsubame-chan?"

_Starving...you have no idea. _"H-hai..."

"Perfect. Shuichi and I were just about to sit down for dinner. Please, come join us. We can talk some more afterwards."

"Arigatou gozaimasu. I would really appreciate that."

So Tsubame, Shiori and Shuichi all sat down and ate. There was very little talk during dinner. When they had all finished Shuichi collected the dishes and went into the kitchen to wash them.

"Can I help Shuichi-kun?" Tsubame asked, not wanting to just sit around while he worked.

"You just sit and relax Tsubame-chan." Shiori broke in.

"No, please. It's the least I could do." She insisted.

Shuichi smiled and nodded. "Alright Kuronoko-san. Mother, would you like to have some tea?"

"That sounds wonderful Shuichi. Tsubame-chan, are you sure you wouldn't like to come and sit down?"

"Hai. Thank you, but I couldn't just sit by without helping at least a little. Thank you so much for the meal Minamino-san, it was delicious." She bowed slightly.

"Alright then."

Tsubame collected a few of the dishes as well and followed Shuichi into the kitchen. Unfortunately Shuichi's idea of her helping was to simply dry the dishes after he had washed them. _Sigh I can't stand it, they're being so nice...I feel like I don't deserve it. I wonder what he's thinking right now. Is he upset at me, or not?_

"Kuronoko-san?"

"Hm?"

"I just figured you'd like to know your story as my mother sees it."

_Well, yeah, that might make something of a difference. _"Aa. I was sort of wondering about that."

"I told her that you had just moved here, which is pretty much what you told me before. As for the explanation of your not having a place to stay; you were separated from your parents on your flight over here. It happened that you arrived here as planned but your parents weren't able to take the same plane, so they remained. A misunderstanding, really, you had thought that they were in a different area of the plane. As to where they remained I left unsaid. But basically you arrived with no place to go because your parents had not yet told you the exact location of your new home. You did know about the school they had enrolled you in, however; so you went there despite not having somewhere to go afterwards."

_Wow...that pretty much covers me then. I should have expected as much from him. _

"Arigatou Shuichi-kun. I really appreciate all this. Honestly, I do."

Kurama just nodded, increasing Tsubame's discomfort. _Say something...anything...Oh, I can't stand it anymore!_

"Shuichi-kun, please tell me, are you upset with me?"

"Iie."

_'Iie'? That's it, just no? sigh_

--

The spare bedroom that Shiori gave to Tsubame was a small, cozy little room that she thought fit her personality exactly. The walls were a deep forest green, and the light tan carpet looked just like the sands on a sunny beach. The bed sat in the far left corner of the room; two fluffy white pillows on top and a soft green blanket folded at the bottom. Next to the bed was a small side table atop of which was placed a plain black reading lamp. It had a drawer, but Tsubame couldn't help but feel like she would be prying were she to look into it. The closet was empty, though it wouldn't have mattered if it weren't as she didn't have any clothes except the uniform she was wearing, which, after her scuffle with the demon, could use a good cleaning.

There was a bookcase sitting just opposite the bed. It's shelves were filled with a good deal of mythical knowledge as well as a few of the more classic tales. Between the two objects, the bookcase and the bed, was a small window with crimson drapes.

The final feature of the room was a beautiful wooden writing desk. It, as well as a small chair that matched the rest of the room in color, was located just to the right of the door, across from the bookcase on its other side.

"It's beautiful!" Tsubame stood at the door to the small room with Shiori, Shuichi just behind them.

"As long as you need a place to stay this can be your room Tsubame-chan."

Tsubame looked to Shiori, smiling and bowing slightly. "Thank you so much!"

Shiori smiled back. "It's no problem at all. Now, before bed would you like to take a shower?"

_Yeah! That sounds _so _good right now. _"Very much, thank you."

"Alright, the shower is just down the hall there." Shiori explained as she pointed towards the bathroom. "Oh! Do you have any other clothes? I don't believe I saw you come in with anything but your schoolbag."

_Oh no, she's right! What do I do? I don't have any clothes, I don't have any money..._

"Tsubame-chan, it's alright. I can tell you were worrying. I have a few things that I'm pretty sure would fit you perfectly."

"Are you sure? I'd really hate to be any trouble..."

"Nonsense, it's no trouble at all. Now, come on, let's see what we can find you."

--

A half hour later Tsubame was lying comfortably in bed. After a long relaxing shower she was able to change into a pair of pajamas that Shiori had found and that, to both of their delights, fit her perfectly. It was simply a long-sleeved red, button-up shirt and a pair of red pants, but the material was so soft and light and comfortable that she second she donned them she had decided they were the nicest she had ever worn.

After thanking Shiori more times than she could count Tsubame had carried the few outfits that Shiori had decided would fit her into her room and placed them in the closet. Then it was off to take a hot shower.

Now, after having a big meal and getting the chance to get cleaned up, she was relaxing for the first time all day.

_It's such a comfortable bed...oh it feels so great just to lay here..._

She pulled her pillow close, holding it in her arms while still laying her head on it, and before she had even realized that she was tired she had fallen fast asleep.

----

_Please review_!


	7. Feelings and changes

_Okay, I know this is a little bit short, but I have my reasons._

---

**What Was I Thinking?**

Chapter 7

Three soft knocks at the door. Tsubame curled up tightly. _I'm asleep..._

Again, three knocks at the door. Tsubame pulled her pillow close to her. _-sigh- I really just want to sleep...since when did anyone in my family knock anyway?_

"Tsubame-chan, are you awake?"

Tsubame's eyes shot open and she sat up quickly. _They don't, of course! But then, I'm not at home._

"H-hai! I'm up!"

"I just didn't want you to be late for school, dear."

"Thanks so much. I'll be out in just a minute!" _There's no way I'm leaving this room with my pajamas still on, I'd be so embarrassed if Shuichi-kun saw me._ She got out of bed, fixing her blanket so that it looked as nice as it had when she had first arrived, and then went to the closet to find some clothes to wear. _Oh no, I completely forgot...I'm supposed to wear my uniform, but...after last night it was all covered in dirt, and I didn't even think to wash it. Man, I really need to keep up with things, everything is so different now. _She brought a hand up to her mouth, biting the nail on her right index finger nervously. _What should I do? There's no time now, but I can't just show up on my second day wearing normal clothes either...Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice about it. _She grabbed an outfit from the closet and turned around to start getting dressed. That's when she saw it. Attached to a hanger on the doorknob hung the red school uniform she had been wearing the day before, cleaned and ironed. _What? But how...? Minamino-san...she saved me again. _She walked over and picked up the clothes, smiling. _Thank you..._

--

After a quick breakfast Tsubame and Shuichi set off for school. Needless to say, Tsubame was a bit nervous. Kurama had been awfully quiet last night, and that hadn't changed much this morning. She kept glancing up at him nervously. After about the third time Shuichi turned to look at her.

"Kuronoko-san?"

_Eep! _"H-hai?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Y-yeah, I mean, well, what do you mean?"

"So Shuichi, you've finally decided to get yourself a girlfriend."

Both Tsubame and Shuichi turned to see Kaito walking up to them.

_This isn't happening...please tell me this isn't happening..._

Shuichi sighed and shook his head. "Sorry to disappoint you Kaito-san, but Kuronoko-san is just an acquaintance of mine."

Kaito leaned closer to Tsubame, pushing up his glasses with one finger. "Yes, I suppose so. She doesn't exactly seem your type."

Tsubame was very red now. At first it had just been sheer embarrassment, but now she had grown quite upset at Kaito as well. _Well, excuse me! Since when did you know everything about him anyway? _She opened her mouth to speak but found that she wasn't sure what she had intended to say.

"Kaito-san," Shuichi broke in. "We should get to school."

Kaito nodded and accompanied them on the rest of their walk to school.

--

When class was just about to begin Kaito left, having his own classroom to get to, and Shuichi and Tsubame headed for their first class; Literature. Just before opening the door Shuichi stopped.

"Kuronoko-san?"

"Hm?"

"I just wanted to apologize for, well, it wasn't one of the most comfortable of situations earlier, with Kaito-san."

_Is he...?_

Kurama smiled uncomfortably.

_He's embarrassed..._

Tsubame smiled warmly, suddenly feeling much lighter and happier than before. "Sure. Don't worry about it."

Kurama smiled in return and opened the door, holding it as Tsubame went through.

--

Just before class started the teacher called Tsubame up to his desk, informing her of a schedule change that she couldn't have been happier with. After showing the schedule to Shuichi she learned that she now had four of her six classes with him, and that didn't include lunch.

It seemed as though all of the tension from the night before had disappeared. Shuichi was acting just as he had before he had learned of her knowledge of them. He accompanied her at lunch, as he had before, and even helped her out in her math class (which they now had together, along with Kaito). Her final class she did not share with him, but Shuichi had told her of a place where they should meet when school was over. After all, today they were to go and see Genkai.

She found Kurama standing at the school gates, under the shadow of a tall tree.

Tsubame froze suddenly, not taking another step forward. _Why...what's going on? I've got this really bad feeling all of the sudden..._

----

_'Kay, sorry about the shortness, but it was for several reasons. One: this set the stage for me to start fresh with hopefully really long chapters, and two: I couldn't resist the cliffie. Anybody want to guess?_

_Please review!_


	8. Genkai and Hiei

_This chapter is dedicated to Mierkai, whose seven consecutive reviews inspired me to get a new chapter up much faster than I had thought I would._

_Arigatou gozaimasu!_

---

**What Was I Thinking?**

Chapter 8

Kurama looked up as he saw Tsubame approaching. He was surprised when she suddenly just stopped.

"Kuronoko-san?"

Tsubame blinked. _It's gone..._

Kurama walked up to Tsubame when she did not respond.

"Kuronoko-san, are you all right?"

"Hm..? Oh! Shuichi-kun. I'm sorry, I just...no, never mind, it's nothing."

Kurama nodded vaguely wondering what had Tsubame looking so confused. "Well, we should start for Genkai's then."

"Yeah, of course."

--

The walk to the temple was relatively quiet; Tsubame was nervous about her upcoming meeting with the psychic. She spent a lot of time trying to guess what sort of things Genkai would ask her. _I'll have to explain how I'm not even from this world again, which honestly still confuses me; and then I'll probably have to prove that I really do know all about the Reikai Tentai and such, not to mention the fact that everything about them is written out as a book, and...oh, what am I doing? It's not going to help if I just stress out about it. I'm just going to have to wait and deal with it when the time comes. Right. No more thinking about it then._

After finally clearing her mind she decided to take a look around her. They had just left the more populated area of the city, and trees had begun to take the place of buildings. There were more kinds than Tsubame had ever seen before; even if she had tried she probably couldn't have named even half of them. Still, she didn't need to know what they were called to enjoy them.

"I never realized just how beautiful it was here. All the plants, the trees, everything is just amazing! Oh, wow!" Tsubame stopped suddenly, looking up at one tree in particular. A spot of color had caught her eye. She looked back at Kurama excitedly. "Shuichi-kun, do you happen to know what kind of tree this is?"

Kurama smiled, finding what Tsubame looked so excited about. "Yes, actually. This is a Somei Yoshino, it's the most common type of sakura tree. It looks like you've spotted the first bud of the season."

"A sakura tree..." Tsubame moved in a bit closer, placing her hand on the bark of the tree. She looked up in between the branches, now able to see the small bud more clearly. "I can't believe it. I've always dreamt of this; of seeing a real cherry blossom tree. I never thought I'd really get the chance. It's so beautiful, even when it's not in bloom." She turned back to Kurama, her eyes lit with an unmistakable joy.

Kurama smiled warmly. "It's nice to see someone else that appreciates their beauty. The first blossoms should be opening any time now. They'll reach mankai not too long after. It's a sight you wouldn't want to miss."

"Aa..." Tsubame returned her gaze to the tree, trying to imagine what it would look like covered in the soft, pink-white flowers. _I wonder if I'll be here that long...long enough to watch the cherry blossoms open..._

"Yo, fox-boy! You coming or what?" Yusuke called out, surprising them both. He stood at the top of the stairs that led up to the temple.

"I suppose we should be going." Kurama said, turning to Tsubame.

"Yeah."

--

Yusuke waited for them at the top of the stairs, trying to contain his laughter when he saw Tsubame out of breath. "Yeah, that's what I thought the first time too."

Tsubame laughed, fixing back her hair as she so often did while talking with someone. A nervous habit some may say. "I can see where this would discourage any unwanted visitors."

"Yeah, Grandma likes the whole privacy thing. Right. Anyway, we oughta head in. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to ask. How's your arm?"

Tsubame pulled up her sleeve, revealing the neat white bandaging. "I almost forgot about it...well, it doesn't hurt so bad now, it's definitely better than yesterday."

"That's good to hear. You know, I have to tell ya, that looked pretty awful yesterday. Guess that creep was really trying to get you, huh?"

"I...I guess..." The incident with the demon had somehow been pushed to the back of her mind until now. What with meeting Shiori and staying at Kurama's house, along with getting accustomed to her new school, the matter had seemed so small. Strange, because that was possibly the most significant thing that had happened since she had arrived.

"On that matter perhaps we should be going in. Genkai may be able to help us figure out some answers." Kurama said, leading the way to the temple.

--

"Yusuke-san, Kurama-san, it's so nice to see you." Yukina greeted them.

"It's good to see you as well Yukina-san. Let me introduce you to Kuronoko Tsubame-san." Kurama said, motioning to Tsubame, who stood half behind him.

"Oh, hello. It's nice to meet you. My name is Yukina."

"Pleasure to meet you Yukina-san." Tsubame replied, bowing slightly.

"Are you three here to see Genkai-sama?"

"Yes, actually. Do you know where she is?" Kurama asked.

"Yes, of course. Come on in."

Yukina led them into the back room where Genkai was sipping a cup of tea. Upon seeing them enter she placed her cup on the table with a sigh. "What sort of trouble have you gotten yourself into now, dimwit?" The question was directed at Yusuke, of course.

Yusuke gave a frustrated sigh. "Why do you always have to assume that I did something? What if I said I just came by for a visit?"

"I wouldn't believe it."

"And why not?"

"Because you're you, dimwit."

Yusuke scoffed, turning on his heel. "Ah, whatever! Stupid old hag..." he trailed off, mumbling a few undistinguishable words.

Yukina laughed lightly.

"Actually Genkai, it was my idea to come here today. I'm afraid we have a matter on hand that we don't fully understand..." Kurama began.

--

"Hmm...so, you're from a entirely different world where our world is played out as a book; and you have no idea how you came to be here, correct?"

"That's right." answered Tsubame

"I see." Genkai was quiet for a minute, replaying all she had just heard in her mind. "Well, I'm afraid I've never heard of such a thing happening before, but I'll definitely be looking into it. In the meantime I believe you'll need a place to stay. there's plenty of space here, so you're welcome to take a room."

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Genkai-san." Tsubame replied, bowing slightly. Though she truly did appreciate what Genkai was offering her she couldn't help but be a bit sad. This meant that she wasn't going to be able to stay at Kurama's anymore.

Kurama looked from Genkai to Tsubame and back again before speaking. "Genkai-san."

"Yes Kurama?"

"Kuronoko-san is welcome to stay at my house."

Yusuke turned to Kurama, shocked. "Woah...what?"

"When you brought Kuronoko-san to my house last night I had also thought it would be best to find her someplace else to stay. It was only because it was getting late that I suggested she stay in the spare room. However; my mother seemed very happy to have her. I think she enjoyed the company, and I'm sure she'd be more than willing to let Kuronoko-san stay."

Tsubame stared at him, her mouth open slightly. _Did he really just offer to let me stay at his place?_

"Hm. Well, that's very kind of you to offer Kurama." Genkai stated. "Tsubame, the decision will be yours. You can either go back with Kurama or you can stay here."

A pink tinge made its' way across Tsubame's cheeks. "I...well, um, I mean...I'd like to continue to...to go to school, so...if it's really...really alright with you Shuichi-kun..."

Kurama nodded. "I'm sure. It's no trouble at all, and I'm sure Kaasan will be pleased to have you as well."

"Arigatou gozaimasu..."

Genkai smiled slyly and then stood up. "Alright then, it's getting late. Everyone that doesn't live here; go home!"

The three teens smiled and bid farewell, walking down the stairs together with Kurama standing between the other two. About halfway down Tsubame froze mid-stride, her right foot hovering a few inches above the next step. Two steps below her Kurama stopped as well, seeing that Tsubame had done so.

"Kuronoko-san?"

_There it is again...what's going on?"_

A few steps later Yusuke realized he was walking alone. "Uh, guys? Something wrong?"

Kurama paid no attention to Yusuke, instead moving next to Tsubame. "Kuronoko-san, are you all right?"

_Am I...all right...? _A blush quickly rose to her face as she realized that she had completely spaced out again. "Oh no, I-I'm sorry. I'm fine, honest, it's just...I just got this really weird feeling all of the sudden..."

Yusuke looked around curiously. "Huh. I didn't notice anything."

"Neither did-" Kurama had been about to agree with Yusuke when he realized that he _did _notice something. _I wonder...could he be the reason she's acting this way? _"Kuronoko-san. By chance did you have this same feeling earlier today, just after school?"

Taken aback Tsubame could only respond with a soft "Yeah..." _How did he...?_

_Interesting. _Kurama turned to face the trees to his right. _Hiei?_

The hi-Koorime opened his eyes lazily from where he was lounging in a tree. _What do you want, fox?_

_Why don't you come out? You should meet Kuronoko-san, she'll be staying for a while, until we can get a few things figured out._

_Hn._

Kurama chuckled. "I have to say I'm a bit surprised. It seems you were able to sense when Hiei was nearby."

"Hiei?" _Woah, wait a second. How come I've been getting such a bad feeling from Hiei? And since when was I able to _sense _anything?_

Hiei appeared suddenly beside Kurama, causing Tsubame to jump back a few steps; but they were still on the stairs. She stumbled, and had Kurama not been there she would have fallen. As it was Kurama caught her by her arm. Tsubame apologized and quickly regained her footing.

"Okay, would somebody please explain to me what I'm missing here?" Yusuke asked, looking very confused.

"It appears Kuronoko-san has the ability to sense demon energy. The same thing happened earlier, you see, and Hiei was also close by then."

"I can detect youki? But...I was never able to do that back-" _Oh, right...I forgot again. there aren't any demons back home, so of course I wouldn't know if I could sense youki or not. I've apparently got my answer to that now. Still, how strange...things are so very different now..._

Hiei glared at Tsubame momentarily before looking up at Kurama. "Was there any particular reason for your disturbing me Kurama? Or were you simply introducing me to yet another worthless ningen?"

Stab. _Okay, I guess I can say without much doubt that he doesn't appear to like me._

Hiei scoffed, disappearing with a barely audible noise. Yusuke looked at Tsubame curiously. While he was used to that sort of behavior, it was just Hiei being Hiei after all, he wondered how she would take it.

_But, I mean, come on. 'Worthless ningen'? I haven't said a single word to him and he's already got a set opinion of me. Guess that's a lesson to me though; it doesn't matter how much you know about someone, you can't predict what people will really do until you're face-to-face with them. Oh well. I didn't really expect Hiei to be friendly anyway._

"You'll have to forgive him Kuronoko-san." Kurama said, interrupting her thoughts. "Hiei isn't what some would call a 'people person'."

She chuckled. "That's okay, it's no big deal."

Yusuke snickered also. "Yeah...okay then, let's just drop all this confusing stuff and get going. I'm starving."

Both Tsubame and Kurama agreed. And besides, the sun was already beginning to set. they would need to be home soon.

_Home...at least for now._

The three teens left Genkai's compound together, and then Yusuke headed off for his own home. Kurama and Tsubame continued on in silence.

----

-mankai_- Full bloom (Cherry trees reach full bloom approximately one week after the first blossoms open.)_

_Also, please note that all honorifics are subject to change. I haven't been able to watch any of the original Japanese amine with Genkai/Yukina/Reikai Tentai interaction yet, but when I do I'll make sure I have everything right._

_Okay readers, what next? There are so many different ways I could go with this story that I just can't decide. Please review! Give me some idea of what you'd like to happen!_


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